Public transit users in the East Kootenay will now have a better look at when the next bus will be coming around.
BC Transit officials said NextRide will allow passengers to track the real-time location of any bus, along with their estimated arrival time at a selected stop.
Once onboard, automated stop announcements will call out stops to passengers, with the goal of improving accessibility and convenience for riders.
“Through BC Transit, bus location data is provided to mobility providers like Transit App, so customers in the East Kootenay region can track and monitor bus routes using their application of choice,” said BC Transit officials.
“Customers using Google Maps to plan their trips will experience a short delay in the real-time data showing up as it takes several weeks for Google to start sharing this information.”
According to BC Transit, the cost of adding the NextRide system is estimated at $6-million, which is being shared between the federal, provincial and municipal governments.
They will split the cost with contributions of 50 per cent, 40 per cent and 10 per cent, respectively.